Latch



E. M. BRINTONV Feb. 3, 1959 LATCH Filed Feb. 15, 1957 United States Patent z,s72,2s4 LATCH Earl M. Brinton, Glen Burnie, Md., assignor, by mesne assignments, to the United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Air Force Application February 15, 1957, Serial No. 640,565

1 Claim. (Cl. 292-256) This invention relates generally to a means for maintaining a cover member in closed position and, as illustrated herein, relates more particularly to locking means having a pivoted latch controlled by an axially movable member having a portion effective upon turning movement of the axially movable member to lock said latch in clamping position.

One object is to provide a latch which may be positively locked and which may apply clamping pressure to the parts to be locked. To this end, one feature of the invention resides in a latch construction for locking receptacle closures having, in combination, a latch member biased toward open position and a second member coopcrating with the latch member for moving the latch members to a locked position.

As illustrated herein, the present construction comprises a pair of spaced cam members pivotally mounted between the spaced walls of an enclosing housing having a threaded opening therein, a member for spacing said cams, said spacing member having an opening therein, and a locking member passing through the threaded opening and through the opening of the spacing member, the locking member having a portion that connects and swings the cam members into locking position with the threaded portion thereof coacting with the threaded opening in the housing member to maintain the cam members in a locking position.

Other objects and features of the invention will become apparent from the following description when read in connection with the drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the device with parts broken away;

Figure 2 is a front view of the latch with parts shown in section; and

Figure 3 is a side view of the device with parts shown in section.

Referring now to the drawings, the illustrated embodiment of the invention comprises a housing member 1i) having spaced side walls 12 in which a pair of spaced cam members 14 are pivotally mounted. As shown, most clearly in Figure 1, the cam members 14 are each mounted on a suitable shaft or rod 16 extending through suitable holes formed in the spaced side walls 12.

The cam members 14 are maintained in proper spaced relation by a cylindrical spacer member 18 having an axial bore therein for receiving the supporting shafts 20 mounted in elongated openings 21 formed in the cam members 14. The cylindrical spacer member 18 is provided with a diametral bore 22 having a counter bore 24. The bore 22 is arranged to receive the reduced portion 26 of a locking member or control rod 28, the lower end portion of which is provided with a threaded portion 30 (Figure 2). The locking member 28 is extended beyond the threaded portion 30 and is arranged to receive a suitable control knob 32. The other end portion of the locking member or control rod 28 is provided with a threaded portion onto which a suitable cylindrical guide member 36 is threaded. The guide member 36 passes through an 2,872,234 Patented Feb. 3, 1959 opening in the connecting wall 38 of the housing member 10 and serves to maintain the control rod 28 in proper alignment, as will later become apparent.

The housing member 10 is provided with a bushing 39 inserted in a suitable opening in the housing member 10 and which is provided with a threaded portion 40 into which the threaded portion 30 of the control rod 28 is threaded. As shown best in Figure 2, the control rod 28 passes upwardly through the bushing 39, through the opening 22 in the spacer member 18 and through the opening in the connecting wall 38'after which the cylindrical guide member 36 is threaded on the upper end portion of the rod 28.

At the junction of the shank of the rod 28 and the reduced portion 26, there is formed a shoulder 41 which enters the counter bore 24 and which is arranged to bear thereagainst to lock the cam members 14 in clamping position.

The cam members 14 are biased in a counterclockwise direction (Fig. l) by suitable torsion springs 42. These springs 42 surround the stub shafts 16 and are so arranged that the cam members 14 are biased back to the original position. A rubber washer 44 provides a seal for the bushing 39. This washer 44 seals the opening and provides a neat appearing finish therefor.

The reduced portion 26 is extended through the spacer member 18 and through the opening in the connecting wall 38 which has a cylindrical guide member 36 that is of sufiicient size to pass through the guide opening in the connecting wall 38. The portion 30 is then tightly threaded into the threaded portion of the bushing 39, thus causing the cam members 14 to be clamped against a ledge 46 providing positive locking and clamping action. As the control knob 32 is reversed or released, the torsion springs 42 cause the cam members 14 to swing back to open position.

Although the device has been described in detail, it is believed that the invention will be more clearly understood after a brief rsum of the operation thereof.

With the parts in the position shown, for example, in Figs. 1 and 3, the cam members 14 are in locked position so that the cover member 48, to which the locking device is attached, bears against a rubber gasket 56 on the casing or inclosure 50 so that a liquid-tight seal is provided between the closure member 48 and the inclosing casing 50. As previously described, the locking member 28 is provided with a suitable control knob 32 located outside oi? the casing 50 and, which when turned in a counter clockwise direction, unscrews and releases the control member 28 and permits the torsion springs 42 to swing the cam members 14 in a counterclockwise direction (as shown in Figs. 1 and 3) away from the ledge 46 a sufficient distance to permit the ends of the cam members 14 to clear the ledge 46 when the closure member 4-8 is swung to open position.

When it is desired to re-close the closure member 48, the closure member is swung into the position shown in Figure 3, andthe control knob 32 is pushed inwardly to swing the cam members 14 in a clockwise position against the tension of the torsion springs 42 until the edges 52 of the cam members 14 engage the ledge 46. In order to lock the cam members in the position shown and to provide a clamping action which will provide a liquid-tight seal or joint between the casing 50 and closure member 48, the knob 32 is rotated in a clockwise direction so that the threaded portion of the control member 28, adjacent to the knob 32, is received into the threaded opening in the bushing member 39. Substantial pressure can be applied to the cam members 14 through the control rod 28, since the shoulder 41, which enters counter bore 24, bears against the spacing member 13 and forces the cam members 14 to move in a clockwise direction.

It is apparent that the present device provides a simple, effective means for providing 21 locking device which is arranged to clamp a closure member in a closed position in such a manner as to provide an efiective liquid-tight seal between the edges of the closure member and the cooperating portions of the inclosing casing.

Having thus described'my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

In a locking device for maintaining a cover member in closed position, a housing member arranged to be fixed to said cover member, said housing member having spaced end walls and intermediate sections connecting said end walls, a pair of spaced cam members pivotally mounted between said spaced end walls, a member for spacing said cam members and having an opening therein, a locking member passing through the opening in the spacing member, a pair of abutments for said locking member 4 arranged to permit limited movement of said locking member relatively to said spacing member, a member fixed to one of the intermediate sect-ions of said housing member and having a threaded opening therein, a threaded portion of said locking member arranged to be threaded into said threaded opening to maintain the spaced cam members in locking position, and spring means for biasing said cam members toward unlocked position.

References Citedin the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 424,454 Biery Apr. 1, 1890 757,249 Barnard Apr. 12, 1904 1,407,858 Harte'r Feb. 28, 1922 1,549,805 Roman Aug. 18, 1925 1,797,765 Frank Mar. 24, 1931 

